


flitting eyes, fast beating hearts

by popkin16



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Watcher Entertainment RPF
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Deep Throating, Dirty Talk, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Lovers, First Time, Happy Ending, M/M, Well it's more like rivals to lovers, blowjob, handjob, some horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:47:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29456220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/popkin16/pseuds/popkin16
Summary: Paranormal investigator Ryan Bergara is forced to spend the night with his rival, professional nonbeliever Shane Madej.Great. Just great.
Relationships: Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej
Comments: 34
Kudos: 116
Collections: Shyan Shipping Society - Valentine's Exchange





	flitting eyes, fast beating hearts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [goblinfingers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/goblinfingers/gifts).



> This was written for the Shyan Shipping Society Valentine's Day challenge as a pinch hit. After waffling over two different ideas - the second of which I'll finish and post at a later date - I settled on this one.
> 
> ↘ Huge thanks to [strawberrymilano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrymilano/pseuds/strawberrymilano) and [Zhalia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zhalia/pseuds/Zhalia) for holding my hand and looking this over. I was mentally screaming nonstop the four days it took to write this.
> 
> ETA 2/15: Now with an [absolutely AMAZING sequel](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29379189/chapters/72397884) by the incomparable bodhirookes! Please read it and give them love <3

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Ryan snapped. Behind him, his cameramen slowed to a stop, letting him rush forward alone. He planted himself in Shane Madej’s way, hands curling into fists at his side. Shane looked down at him, his thin mouth curling into an amused smile.

“Same thing you’re here for, I expect,” he responded smoothly. “Unless you happen to be vacationing, short stack?”

“We booked this place for tonight,” Ryan hissed. “We paid up front, full price.”

Shane’s smile widened. His eyes seemed to glitter in the low light. “What a coincidence, as we did too.”

“Nope, no,” Ryan insisted. “You have to come back tomorrow.”

“No can do, buckaroo,” Shane said. “This was the only night that fit in our schedule.”

Ryan ground his teeth together. He took a slow, deep breath to calm himself down, and took a step away from Madej. Devon approached him, taking his arm and pulling him further away from the other crew, ducking her head close to his so they could speak in whispers. Ryan felt the prickle of Shane’s eyes on his back and tried to focus on his friend.

“We can come back tomorrow,” she murmured. “We’re not quite as tightly scheduled.”

“He probably lied about their schedule,” Ryan grumbled. “And I’m not giving up tonight for _him_.”

“Then what do you want to do, Ryan? I can’t see him budging.”

Ryan hadn’t a clue. The bigger person would give in gracefully. But it galled Ryan to think of Shane Madej going into North Banston Prison Complex first, even though before five minutes ago he hadn’t even known Madej was going to be filming there. But Madej was Ryan’s nemesis; the yin to his yang, the cool head to Ryan’s more passionate nature. The entire premise of his show was an insult to Ryan and his beliefs - he had set out to prove ghosts did not exist, and he was obnoxious and disparaging in the way he went about it.

Ryan _hated_ him and his smug face.

“I have an idea,” Shane drawled from where he stood some feet away, tall and lean and annoyingly unbothered by the cold air. “We could both film at the same time.”

“Over my dead body,” Ryan responded without thinking. Shane raised an eyebrow.

“That seems a little extreme,” Shane said, but he was grinning with delight. “This is the largest prison complex in the country. We could probably film an episode’s worth on opposite ends and never run into each other.”

The guide, Mary, broke in, her face pinched with worry as she looked between the two of them. “I-I can contact my manager about what to do. I’m so sorry, this has never happened before. Please, just give me a moment to consult him about what to do.”

Ryan felt sorry for her; she’d clearly been forced to volunteer to act as their guide, if her uneasy glances at the sprawling, terrifying building before them was any indication. She’d been unnerved from the moment they’d arrived. He hated to think they’d be causing her more anxiety than they already were.

“No,” he sighed, his good nature winning out. “We can film at the same time.”

“Oh, but there’s only me to act as a guide,” Mary said. “I shouldn’t let - you shouldn’t go in alone without someone who knows the building.”

“I’ll go,” the security guard spoke up, half obscured by the shadow of the gate. “I can lock up easily enough. We don’t get many visitors, anyway.”

Ryan relaxed at that. They would each get their own guide, and hopefully the night would pass without Ryan having to look at Madej’s stupid face again. When Ryan glanced his way, Shane was beaming, the wind ruffling his soft looking hair, cheeks and nose red, and Ryan looked away quickly. A familiar irritation warmed his chest.

Ryan and Madej quickly filmed their intro shots, their crews professional enough to stay out of each other’s way. It was difficult for Ryan not to sneak glances as Madej introduced the prison. Though the man was an ass, he was compelling to watch. Ryan would die before he admitted it, but he watched the episodes Madej put out. He could find no fault with the camera work, with the small scripted bits, and _sometimes_ Madej even managed to be funny, when he wasn’t insulting the spiritual beliefs of a ton of people.

If only he weren’t so fucking _annoying_.

Madej let them film their entrance into the building first. It was difficult to push the “thank you” out of Ryan’s throat, fear and anxiety already settling into his body, making him tense. He was feeling more self-conscious than normal with Madej there. Not only were their philosophies different, but Madej never seemed afraid or unnerved by any of the places he visited - another way in which he was in opposition to Ryan. It embarrassed Ryan, to feel so afraid, when Madej was cool as a cucumber, yucking it up with his crew.

Mary opted to accompany them to the left wing, with the security guard taking Madej’s crew to the right. Ryan couldn’t say he was sad to see them go - it was one less stressful thing for Ryan to be concerned with.

Ryan settled into the easy familiarity of filming. North Banston was _huge_. The prison cells had been added on later, after its first use as an asylum and then a reform school. There were many run down rooms and dark hallways that echoed their footsteps back to them. It was easy to get lost, with rooms leading to other rooms, which didn’t exit out into the same hallway, and everything looked exactly the same. It was said that tragedy could be found in nearly every room; that this place had never known anything but suffering.

Ryan shivered in his jacket, pulling the collar up higher.

The feeling of being watched lingered, a weight that dogged Ryan’s every step. Devon was also glancing around uneasily, gaze darting from one shadowed corner to another. Everything was deathly silent, with the occasional gust of wind rattling the windows. Even their voices seemed to be eaten up, their words sounding muffled when Ryan thought by rights they should be echoing.

When it came time for Ryan’s solo, he had to take several deep breaths to prepare himself. His skin prickled with nerves and his stomach was a nauseous mess with nerves. He swore the dark was staring back at him, waiting to swallow him up.

 _I won’t go far_ , Ryan reminded himself, _and I have my flashlight to light my way._

He walked slowly down the long hallway, approaching the single turn he’d be taking. He glanced back repeatedly, watching as the lights of his crew grew smaller, dimmer. Just before he turned the corner, he waved his flashlight. Devon’s flashlight swung through the air in response, letting him know they were there, that they saw him.

Around the corner was more of the same - silent rooms, broken down furniture. The room at the end of the hall was originally the library, refashioned into the headmaster’s room when it was a school. It was said several students died under his care, punished via painful, torturous acts. Ryan thought about what he’d read, what had been done to those poor kids, and felt his stomach lurch.

The door opened with a squeak right out of a horror movie. Everything was dusty inside, the furniture draped in sheets. Ryan headed straight for the large desk at the back of the room, setting his spirit box down with a noise that seemed extraordinarily loud in the room. When he turned it on, it felt as though every hair on his body stood up. It felt like something was in the room, holding its breath, every bit of attention on Ryan.

Ryan checked that his go-pro was working and took a deep breath. He was a seasoned veteran. He wasn’t going to let anything scare him off.

“Is there anyone here with me right now? My name is Ryan. Can you say that back to me?”

The spirit box continued to spit out its usual noise.

“I’d like to speak with Headmaster Daron, if I may. Are you here? Can you give me a sign?”

And so it went, for at least twenty minutes. By the time Ryan shut the spirit box off, he was half convinced he’d imagined the sense of tension in the air, the feeling that something was with him. His hands still shook with fear, but he’d survived twenty minutes alone with no contact of any kind.

 _Perhaps Madej’s pissed them off and they’re ripping his heart out_ , Ryan thought uncharitably.

When he turned around, it felt like his heart gave a single, large _thump_ and then stopped. The door was closed. He most definitely had left it open - all the better to make a run for it if something happened. But it was closed now, and he hadn’t heard the noise of it.

 _The noise from the spirit box_ , Ryan told himself, _you wouldn’t have heard it close over that_.

Still, he half expected the doorknob not to turn when he grabbed it. That he’d be locked in here with whatever was lurking. To his relief, it gave an easy turn and opened with that same creak of before. Ryan hurriedly left the room, not bothering to keep quiet as he jogged down the long hallway and took that single turn. He should really be asking questions as he went, trying to get a response here in the hallway, especially as he had gotten nothing in the room itself. But now that escape was imminent, he could only focus on getting the _hell_ out.

But.

Ryan slowed to a stop. He turned slowly to look back the way he’d come. He could have sworn Devon and the others weren’t this far down. It’d only taken him a couple minutes to reach the corner when he’d first set out, and he’d been deliberately walking slowly. He should have run into them by now.

Ryan’s breathing began to speed up. Where were they?

“Guys?” He called out. “This isn’t funny. Please….don’t do this…”

His voice sounded muffled, despite how loudly he was talking. What the fuck were the acoustics in this place?

Ryan dug his hand into his jeans pocket, yanking his phone out. He woke it up, squinting into the bright light. The little signal bars at the top right of his phone were empty, with a tiny x through it: no signal. His breathing was really becoming labored now, as anxiety and fear filled his lungs like rot.

“Guys…” He whimpered.

And then, from far away: “Hello?”

Ryan pressed a hand to his chest, his head snapping up. “Hello! I’m here!”

“Hello!” The person repeated, sounding slightly closer.

“Follow my voice!” Ryan yelled - or tried, though his voice still sounded small against the size of the place. Hope surged in his chest, lessening fear’s grip on his lungs. He smiled.

“Good to finally find someone,” the other person said, and Ryan lifted his flashlight and shined it directly into Madej’s eyes.

He grimaced, lifting one hand up to cover his eyes. “I need my eyes for seeing, thank you.”

“What the fuck,” Ryan said numbly, “are you doing here?”

“I could ask the same of you,” Shane returned. “How’d you get on my side?”

“ _You_ are on _my_ side of the building,” Ryan argued. He aimed the flashlight at their feet, the relief of finding another person still making its way through him. It was very hard for him not to reach out and grab at Madej’s jacket.

“Uh, no,” Madej said with condescension in his voice, “I went like, fifty feet from my crew in total.”

“I didn’t go that far from mine either!” Ryan said, voice getting higher pitched.

“Hmm,” Madej considered. And then he shrugged, “It’s hard to tell in the dark like this. We both probably wandered too far during our solos.”

“But - I could have sworn there was nowhere else to go but to double back to my crew,” Ryan said, brow furrowed. Madej rubbed at his face, the sound of his hand rasping against his beard loud in the quiet.

“How sure are you about that?”

“Well…” Ryan trailed off. To be truthful, he wasn’t sure at all. There was a reason they had a person to guide them through the place. It wasn’t just to make sure they didn’t get injured or break things, but to ensure they got in and out. Madej seemed to read his silence correctly, as he gave Ryan a knowing smile. Ryan rolled his eyes in return.

“So which way do we go?” Madej asked, tilting his head.

“You’re asking me?” Ryan looked askance at him.

Madej shrugged with one shoulder. “Wandering by myself got me here, not back to my crew. Clearly I’m not making good decisions.”

“And you think I will?” Ryan asked, surprised.

“Not particularly,” Madej replied, grinning. “But I might as well continue with my bad decisions.”

“Fuck you,” Ryan snapped, but it was far less forceful than usual. He was just so goddamned relieved to see another soul in this place. Ryan turned around and started walking the way he’d been before he stopped. He only made it a couple feet before he was glancing over his shoulder, hoping Madej would still be there.

Ryan felt almost lightheaded with relief, and slowed his steps so they were walking side by side. Madej didn’t say anything, just sent him a small smile, without any mocking undertones, and Ryan smiled back tentatively. They continued in silence, the heaviness of which pressed down on Ryan. He wanted suddenly, more than anything, to talk with Madej about something, anything. Anything to break up the quiet, to remind him he wasn’t alone.

“This hallway is much longer than I remember,” Ryan said finally.

“Perhaps you took a wrong turn, and this is a hallway you hadn’t been down before?”

“Maybe,” Ryan said, the familiar fear filling his chest again. “But if so, then we’re both totally lost.”

“If we continue to head in one direction, eventually we’ll reach a room. We can look out the window to orient ourselves.”

It was logical advice. And so they continued on in silence. Ryan wracked his brain for something to say, something they could talk about that wouldn’t lead to yet another argument. Ryan didn’t want to get angry with the only person around; he didn’t want Madej to storm off, or for Ryan to.

“What made you start your show?” Ryan asked abruptly. Madej twitched beside him, clearly surprised by the sudden conversation.

“Uh,” he said, “It started out as just something fun to do. There was this abandoned house near my college campus everyone said was haunted. I won two hundred bucks by spending the night there with just a home video camera. It was a stupidly easy way to make money.”

“And you don’t believe in...anything?”

“I believe in the capability of humans to be monstrous,” Madej said. “I’m more afraid of running into another person in one of these locations than I am of running into a being of energy.”

“Energy that has hurt people,” Ryan argued. “I’m sure you’ve seen the video of scratches that appear out of nowhere, or, or things flying across the room.”

“Yeah, sure,” Madej said, “But those could easily be manipulated. I want to see something for myself. I want an _experience_.”

Ryan turned to him, surprised. “Are you saying you _want_ to see a ghost?”

“Well, yeah,” Madej said, looking down at Ryan with a smile. Their shoulders brushed together. “I want to see something with my own eyes. It’s why I always try to rile ‘em up, you know? Piss them off enough to actually do something I can’t explain away. So far, no ghosties have shivered my timber, so to speak. I remain skeptical.”

“Huh,” Ryan mumbled. He hadn’t thought Madej would be open to an experience. He thought the asshole just straight up didn’t believe, and in his close-mindedness taunted the dead and all who believed in them. Rather, Madej _didn’t_ believe, but he was open to being convinced.

Ryan sent a glance at his taller counterpart, wondering what else he had misunderstood.

They turned another corner, stumbling upon two staircases. One went up, the other down, though Ryan knew for a fact they’d been on the ground floor. He said as much to Madej, who looked uneasy in a way that sent ice down Ryan’s back.

“Yeah, we didn’t take any stairs either,” He agreed. He shined the flashlight ahead of them, only to find a solid wall. They could turn back, or take a set of stairs, but this was the end of the line.

“Up or down?” Ryan asked, voice a little shaky. Madej glanced at him, and for a moment Ryan swore he looked concerned. But then he blinked, and Madej’s face was unreadable in the stark light of the flashlight.

“Up,” He decided. “If we go down, it might lead to a basement, and that’ll make it more difficult to find a window.”

  
It seemed smart, so Ryan walked past the stairs leading down. He set his foot upon the first step and turned to continue the conversation about Madej’s show. The words jammed in his throat when he realized Madej _wasn’t behind him_. Ryan stepped off the step and hurried back the way he came. Behind him, the stairs creaked.

He whipped around, shining his flashlight toward the stairs, breath coming quicker. There was nobody there. Then, from above, the heavy sound of footsteps. Ryan’s hands began to shake. He looked up, keeping his flashlight ahead of him. Another couple steps, and then the sound of something being dragged.

“Madej?” Ryan asked, voice weak. There was no response. Ryan shined his flashlight at the stairs leading down, but there was no sign of anybody. Tears prickled Ryan’s eyes. The stairs creaked again, like someone was making their way down them slowly. Ryan backed up until he was pressed against a wall.

“S-Shane?” Ryan whispered, and a tear slipped down his cheek.

“Ryan?”

Ryan screamed and spun around, swinging out with the arm holding the flashlight. Someone grabbed his wrist, preventing his punch from landing, and he screamed again. He yanked desperately against the hold, but he was being hauled closer.

“Hey, hey, calm down, what’s wrong?”

It was Madej. That _asshole_.

“You disappeared!” Ryan shouted. “I turned around and you were _gone_ , and I heard footsteps upstairs, and the fucking stairs - someone was on them, I know it, and you were _gone_.”

  
Shane pulled him close, tucking Ryan’s face against his chest. Ryan punched his side weakly before grabbing hold of his stupid plaid button-up. Shane wrapped the arm not holding Ryan in place around Ryan before he began to rub his back soothingly.

“I’m sorry, everything’s fine,” Shane said. “I’m sorry I left you. I thought I heard a voice in one of the rooms.”

“You’re a fucking _dick_ ,” Ryan said, voice muffled. He pressed closer to Shane, feeling his chest expand as he breathed, taking in his cologne. He was so _warm_.

“I know,” Shane soothed. “I promise I won’t do that again. I didn’t realize - I didn’t think -”

But whatever Shane thought, he didn’t say. He simply held Ryan, letting him calm down. It took everything Ryan had to pull away minutes later, out of that comforting embrace. He could hardly meet Shane’s eyes. He’d just fucking _cuddled_ the guy for no reason. Ryan wasn’t hurt, he’d just been left alone for a few minutes at most. He felt like such an idiot.

When Ryan forced himself to meet Shane’s eyes, he didn’t see any of the derision he expected there. He looked soft, regretful - not at all like he was going to make fun of Ryan for getting so upset. It didn’t mesh with the kind of person Ryan had thought Shane was; he never would have expected gentleness or comfort.

Shane waited patiently while Ryan composed himself. He wiped his eyes with the neckline of his shirt and sniffed a couple times. He took a moment to take a slow breath in, counting the seconds, and then released it equally as slow. The fear that had filled him slowly drained out, muscles relaxing, until Ryan could smile gratefully at Shane. He wanted to say _thank you_ but something held him back.

Shane smiled back with a quiet understanding in his eyes. Ryan wasn’t sure how long they smiled at each other before Shane tilted his head toward the stairs.

“Ready?” He asked, and Ryan gave a single nod of confirmation.

The stairs _did_ creak as they ascended, just like they had earlier, and to Ryan it was confirmation that something had been coming down them. It made his skin crawl thinking about it - Ryan, alone at the bottom of the stairs, unaware of what was approaching in the dark. If Ryan stayed closer to Shane than he would have otherwise, neither man commented on it.

“Which way do we go?” Ryan asked quietly, shining his flashlight around. It didn’t illuminate very far - perhaps twenty feet, before the darkness became too thick. This hallway looked identical to the one they’d just left - doors the same feet apart, dull art hanging on the walls between them.

“We should start trying doors,” Shane said, his own flashlight lighting up the door right across from the stairs. “One of these has to be unlocked with a window.”

Ryan somehow doubted that. He’d never felt like the building itself was acting against them, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was more than ghosts. Just a lingering presence, something vast and watching. If they found a window, could they open it? Would anybody hear them? The prison was isolated, with acres of land between it and the nearest town.

“There won't be anyone around if you need help. We couldn't even hear you, in the night,” Ryan quoted to himself. Next to him, Shane wheezed a small laugh, turning to look at him, one hand resting on the doorknob.

“No one could. No one lives any nearer than town. No one will come any nearer than that. In the night. In the dark,” Shane finished the movie quote for him in a low voice, and they shared a small, nervous laugh. Ryan pressed close as Shane turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

It opened soundlessly to a dark room, with sealed boxes and undisturbed dust. A quick glance around showed no windows, though it was possible they were hidden by the stacks of boxes and furniture that had been left behind. When Shane went to take a step in, Ryan grabbed his elbow, shaking his head. There was nothing for them here.

After a long pause, Shane allowed himself to be tugged back into the hallway. Ryan shut the door behind them as quietly as he could, hoping that everything inside the room had remained undisturbed. When Shane set out down the hallway to the right, Ryan followed close behind.

The next four rooms they checked were the same. Just silence and dust, and the looming presence of hidden things under sheets and darkness. Ryan was beginning to think the house wasn’t going to let them find a window, that they’d be trapped wandering around until they died of thirst -

Ahead of them, in one of the rooms they hadn’t checked yet, Ryan heard a loud thump. A quick glance at Shane made it obvious that he’d heard, too. He was just as frozen as Ryan, flashlight pointing toward the sound.

“Maybe something fell over,” Shane said with uncertainty.

“Maybe,” Ryan said doubtfully. When something slammed against the door that was only twenty feet away, Ryan jumped, reaching out to grip Shane’s sleeve with one shaking hand. Shane shuffled closer to him as well, mouth pinched. They breathed. Ryan felt like his body was simultaneously too hot and too cold, fear sending his body into a tailspin.

  
Shane took a step forward, stopping only because Ryan tightened his grip, preventing him from moving closer to the noise.

“What are you doing?” Ryan hissed quietly.

“I’m going to check it out,” Shane said, far too casually. “You should stay here. Maybe hide.”

“Hide?” Ryan replied, his voice going up in pitch. “We should both hide.”

Shane shook his head. “Something could have just fallen over.”

“After years of being abandoned, something fell over _now_?”

“I don’t know, Ryan,” Shane said, beginning to sound exasperated. “That’s why I want to go and find out.”

“I’ll come with you.” Ryan took a step forward so he was shoulder to shoulder with Shane once again. “I want to see your face when confronted with a ghost.”

Shane rolled his eyes. “It’s much more likely that someone’s broken in.”

“And you want to go _look_ for them? Are you fucking insane?”

“Which is why I should go _alone_ ,” Shane pointed out, “If it is somebody and they attack me, at least you can get away.”

“You want me to run away and leave you to get fucking murked? What is wrong with you?”

“I’m not saying I’m going to get murked!” Shane argued loudly. “It could be - for all we know it could be the security guard looking for us, or somebody willing to help us out. Or it could be a burglar or some shit, we don’t _know_. Which is why I’m going to go look, and you can duck into one of these rooms.”

“Oh fuck no,” Ryan said, clenching his jaw. “If you go, I go. I’m not letting you go alone, man.”

“Ryan -” Shane said, brow furrowing. Ryan deliberately pointed his flashlight in Shane’s face, blinding him. Shane scrunched his face up, raising one hand to cover his eyes. Ryan fought down an inappropriate giggle.

“Together. Or not at all,” Ryan said stubbornly.

Shane gave in gracelessly, muttering something under his breath Ryan couldn’t catch. He made sure to push Ryan behind him as they advanced down the hallway. Ryan strained his ears, listening for movement, some sign to indicate which room it was. He and Shane stopped at the same time, flashlights focused on two doors across from each other.

“I think it was this one,” Ryan breathed, trying to keep his voice quiet in the off chance there was someone in one of the rooms.

“This one,” Shane mouthed, jerking his head toward the door he was closest to. Ryan shook his head and took a step to the left, reaching out with one hand for the doorknob. He hesitated for a second, heart pounding. _What was on the other side of the door? A ghost? Someone with ill intent? God, this could be it._ Ryan took a deep, bracing breath, and before he could psyche himself out of it, shoved his door open.

Silence. He aimed his flashlight into the room, highlighting just how empty it was. He released the breath he’d been holding, adrenaline pumping through his veins. It was -

“Ah ha!” Shane said, much too loudly. Ryan startled, dropping his flashlight onto his foot. When he turned to look, Shane was in the open doorway of his room. He had a hand pressed to his stomach, eyes crinkled as he laughed. “Bit jumpy, are you?”

“Fuck you,” Ryan snapped, chest heavy with irritation. “You freaked me out with your talk of burglars.” After the...the moment they’d had earlier, it hurt to have Shane laughing at him. It made Ryan feel stupid and embarrassed. Shane had always had this way of making Ryan feel like a fool for getting scared, for believing. He’d run into his share of skeptics since starting the show, but Shane was different, somehow. He got under Ryan’s skin, a vibration set at the perfect frequency to rile Ryan up.

Ryan reached down to snatch up his flashlight before joining Shane in the doorway. He ignored the face Shane was making - downturned lips and regretful eyes - and stepped into the room first, irritation making him bold. There _was_ a window in this room, with the curtains pulled apart just enough to let in a sliver of moonlight. Most of the room was empty, except for the ornate desk situated in front of the window, which Ryan circumvented with ease. He yanked the windows open aggressively, still ignoring Shane’s presence at his shoulder.

The view was…trees. There was a forest around the prison complex, dense and foreboding. There were cases of prison escapees getting lost out there, circling disoriently until the tracking dogs found them. From his view of the window, he couldn’t see much of the rest of the prison complex, just a section of the large bricked wall with barbed wire on top and the forest beyond.

“Well that’s helpful,” he muttered sarcastically, and turned around. At least they knew they were on the third floor now.

Shane was leaning against the desk, arms folded across his chest. He was looking at Ryan, face dimly lit from moonlight, biting on his bottom lip. He lifted one long, pale hand to run it through his hair, and Ryan felt his own fingers twitch. Ryan liked textures; he liked feeling the soft material of shirts in clothing stores, or rubbing sand through his fingers. And he secretly, desperately, wanted to touch Shane Madej’s hair.

There was also something about those hands of his...

“We should stay here,” Ryan said abruptly, yanking his thoughts away from Shane Madej’s hair and his long fingers. “We can wait until the sun comes up, see what direction it rises. Plus, don’t they say you shouldn’t continue to wander if you get lost?”

“Good idea,” Shane agreed. He slapped his thighs and stood up. “That way we won’t be wandering in the dark.”

Ryan was surprised that Shane agreed; they’d both made a habit of being contrary just to spite the other. His earlier irritation faded and they shared a smile. Ryan hurried over to shut the door, ignoring the feeling of Shane’s eyes on his back as he did so. He just felt safer with it closed. When he turned around, ready to defend himself, Shane merely sent him a rather sweet smile before settling on the floor, under the window.

They sat in awkward silence for a time. With their phones getting no signal, it’s not as though they could browse the internet to pass the time. Ryan could only play games for so long before he grew bored, and he set his phone aside with a sigh. Shane sent him a sidelong glance.

“I have a couple episodes of Parks and Recreation downloaded on here,” Shane commented, “Wanna watch?”

Ryan scooted closer, his head nearly resting on Shane’s shoulder as he peered down at Shane’s phone. He queued up the first episode, and Ryan relaxed at the familiar sights and sounds of one of his favorite television shows to relax to.

“I love this show,” he shared. “I watch it whenever I need to cheer myself up.”

“It’s pretty great,” Shane agreed. “I’m in the middle of my third rewatch. Downloaded a couple episodes to watch on the plane ride home.”

“So you _are_ going home after this!” Ryan crowed, triumphant. “I knew your tight schedule claim was total bullshit.”

Shane’s body shook with his laughter. “Yeah, I just said that to get your goat.”

“Asshole,” Ryan huffed, but he was smiling. Shane’s body heat felt really nice against the chill of the room. Ryan hesitated, and then fully leaned against him. Shane smiled down at his phone, though Ryan didn’t think this part was particularly funny.

“I know, I know,” Shane said. “You sure are somethin’ when you’re all riled up.”

Ryan elbowed him gently in the side. They finished the episode, though it took three times as long as it normally would have, as they discovered a shared love of popcorn - a topic of which they seemed to agree completely on. Once the episode finished, they cracked jokes and talked about their favorite moments in the series.

“I tell myself, ‘treat yo self’ every time I buy a new pair of sneakers,” Ryan confessed.

“You really are obsessed with those,” Shane said, looking down at Ryan’s boots. Ryan opened his mouth to talk about his collection - he was physically incapable of _not_ babbling when it was brought up - when his brain screeched to a halt. He turned his head to peer up at Shane’s face.

“How do you know that?” Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh.” Shane scratched at the back of his head, eyes darting around the room, looking anywhere but Ryan’s face. “I may follow you on twitter.”

“You do _not_ ,” Ryan retorted. “I would have _noticed_.”

“I doubt that.” Shane snorted. “I’ve seen your follower count.”

Ryan bit his lip, debating whether or not to confess. Things were so relaxed and easy between them for once, and Ryan didn’t want Shane to feel embarrassed, to have him retreat behind that unaffected expression, blank eyes and cool smile in place. He kind of liked this Shane, who laughed loudly and was annoying in a more fun, exasperating way.

“I don’t follow you, but I check your twitter every day,” Ryan confessed. He shot a nervous glance Shane’s way, but could only bring himself to look as high as Shane’s mouth and not his eyes. He ran a finger over the knee of his pants, tracing abstract designs. “You have good tweets, dude.”

“Thank you,” Shane said, sounding surprised. “I, I like your tweets too - when they’re not about sports or shoes, I gotta admit.”

Ryan giggled. “My two greatest loves.”

“I would have thought ghosts were one of your greatest loves,” Shane said. It sounded like he was smiling, and when Ryan glanced up at him through his eyelashes, he was - a soft, quiet smile that turned his already handsome face into something...breathtaking. Ryan looked back down at his knees.

“I mean...I respect ghosts, and I believe in them. But other than my job, they don’t take up too much of my life.”

“No, like...ghostie pillow talk?” Shane asked, voice thick with humor. Ryan was surprised into a laugh, which he attempted to muffle with one hand.

“I just light up a cigarette -”

“Take a quick puff -” Shane added.

“And go, ‘Have you heard about the Winchester Mansion’?”

They wheezed together in the dark, slumped together against the wall. Ryan wiped the tears from his eyes and turned to press his face against Shane’s shoulder, breathing in the smell of his cologne. His chest had that loose, light feeling one got when laughing a bunch, and he never thought he could feel this way on location.

“Did you just - did you just wipe your nose on my sleeve?” Shane asked, giggling.

“What? No!” Ryan sat up, his cheeks hurting from the force of his grin. Shane didn’t seem at all convinced, if the way he was still wheezing was any indication. Ryan punched him in the shoulder and Shane slid sideways down the wall a little.

Ryan was just opening his mouth to tell Shane it wasn’t his fault Shane’s shirt reminded him of a patterned handkerchief when a sound over by the door stopped him cold. Shane’s face, previously lit up with laughter, faded into wide eyes.

The doorknob rattled again.

“Under the desk, _now_ ,” Shane hissed, pushing on Ryan’s shoulders to get him moving.

The desk was a monstrosity, with a footwell in the center that was open for a chair, but otherwise completely boxed in. Ryan slid into the footwell, curling up as best he could. Shane climbed in after him, though he couldn’t fit inside completely, not with Ryan already in there. He tucked himself as close to Ryan as he could and moved the chair to try and hide some of his feet and giraffe legs.

“Shane -” Ryan whispered, terrified of what was on the other side of that door, terrified that Shane wasn’t hidden well enough. Shane reached up and slapped a hand over Ryan’s mouth, pressing firmly. His breath was hot when he whispered into Ryan’s ear, “Quiet.”

The door opened, slamming into the wall with a bang so loud Ryan jumped.

“Shh,” Shane breathed into his ear, and that was _not_ helping Ryan’s pulse settle. Ryan turned his head to meet Shane’s eyes as best he could in the dark. They stared at each other, unblinking as footsteps made their way into the room. Ryan strained his ears, trying to track them as they went left, toward the old bookcase, and then swung toward the desk. Shane closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Ryan’s face. His eyelashes tickled. Though Ryan’s instincts were screaming at him to stay completely still, he took the chance of reaching up to grab at Shane’s wrist.

If they found them, Ryan wasn’t going to let Shane go without a fight.

The footsteps paused in front of the desk. Ryan was hyper aware that the only thing between him and whatever was in the room with them was the wood of the desk. His heart beat hummingbird fast in his chest, and it was a fight to keep his breathing even and quiet. His grip on Shane’s wrist was tight enough to bruise now.

After the longest couple minutes of Ryan’s life, the footsteps moved away, back toward the door. Shane leaned away from Ryan and opened his eyes. Their eyes met, again, and they stared at each other. Shane continued to cover Ryan’s mouth, and Ryan continued to hold Shane’s wrist.

As the seconds ticked by with no more movement, with the tension in the air slowly leaching out, Ryan’s mind began to wander. He wished it were brighter. He wanted to see Shane’s face more clearly. What would he look like, this close up? Ryan had spent hours watching Shane’s show, but the night vision cameras were terrible for details. Ryan knew Shane’s eyes were brown, but he hadn’t consciously noticed the detail, and now he wanted to know what shade.

Were Shane’s lips as soft as his hands?

 _Okay, that’s enough of that_ , Ryan thought, and pried Shane’s hand off his mouth.

“I think it’s gone,” he whispered.

“Lemme look.” Shane reached out with one hand and pushed the chair back slowly, until there was just enough room for him to peek over the edge of the desk. He moved gingerly, wincing when his knees cracked loudly. Ryan held his breath, but nothing in the room stirred. Shane tilted his head back and straightened up. He immediately ducked back down, and Ryan’s heart gave a large THUMP until he saw the look of relief on Shane’s face.

“Room’s clear. They left the door open.”

“We should close it,” Ryan urged, “As a barrier between us and - and them.” _It_ , Ryan corrected in his head. This place was fucking haunted as fuck, Ryan _knew_ it. Shane gave him a look like he knew what Ryan was thinking, but gamely got to his feet. While Ryan was getting to his feet, Shane hurried over to the door and swung it shut, taking care to close it softly.

“The door doesn’t lock,” He said, using his phone as a flashlight, his own actual flashlight left on the floor by the wall.

“We’ll move the desk in front of the door,” Ryan decided. “It’s heavy. It’ll take two of us to move it.”

“Is that a good idea?” Shane frowned. “If they come back to this room, they’ll know we’re in here when they can’t open the door. We’ll be trapped with nowhere to hide.”

“They left the door open,” Ryan pointed out. “They’ll know something’s up if they return and the door’s closed. We got lucky just now - do you really want to hide down there and hope we’re not spotted? At least this way we can barricade the door and hope we last through the night.”

Not that Ryan thought a closed door and heavy desk would do anything against a pissed off spirit, but at least it was _something_ they could do. It made Ryan feel better.

“Fair,” Shane conceded, and joined Ryan behind the desk.

It was heavy as _fuck_ , and by the time the two of them had pushed it across the floor and against the door, they were both panting and uncomfortably sweaty.

“Old furniture was built to last,” Shane commented, wiping at his forehead.

“Yeah, through a nuclear blast,” Ryan grumbled. They wandered over to where they’d stupidly left their flashlights out in the open and clicked them on, setting them on the desk. With the door closed and blocked, and some light brightening the room - even if it wasn’t much - Ryan’s brain eased out of panic mode. His body was still fighting through the adrenaline that came with a close call and he let out a slow breath, trying to calm down.

Just as Ryan’s started to feel in control again, something scraped against the wall. Ryan jumped and spun toward the sound, sucking in a breath to scream. Shane stepped up beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, hauling him close.

“I think it’s the room next door,” Shane whispered. Ryan turned to fit himself against Shane, eyes fixed on the wall. There was another, quieter sound - were they scratching at the wall? Dragging something against it? Silence fell once again.

Ryan felt hysteria rising thick in his throat. He wanted _out_ of this fucking place. He wanted to be somewhere with lots of people, with bright lights and noise, where he felt safe.

“Ryan,” Shane said quietly. Ryan peered up at him, eyes wide.

“What?” He asked. His voice shook, heart still beating like a drum in his chest, and he felt Shane’s arm tighten its hold on him.

“Here, stop recording for a second.” Shane reached down to press a button on his gopro screen. After a moment of confusion, Ryan clicked his own off.

When both of the cameras were off, Shane turned to him again, with a peculiar look in his eye.

“Do you have a boner right now?”

“Um,” but Ryan’s mind was going blank on him, and all he could think to say was, “No?”

“So that’s _not_ a boner poking my thigh?” Shane asked, tilting his head. His gaze darted from Ryan’s eyes to his mouth.

“No, it is,” Ryan said meekly. Somewhere in his head, his common sense was shouting at him to shut up. “Sometimes, I, uh. It’s a thing that happens. Sometimes.”

“Oh,” Shane hummed thoughtfully. “Is that why you do your show? You’re - you get, uh, you get off on it?”

“ _No!_ ” Ryan felt his face heat up painfully. Why couldn’t he just shut the topic down? “I’ve never. It’s not like I jerk off to thoughts of ghosts or anything. I’m just...full of adrenaline right now.”

“Adrenaline, right,” Shane repeated, and something in his face seemed to close off a little.

“Plus you’ve been touching me. You have nice hands.” _Please stop talking_. “Sometimes I think about them.”

Shane’s eyes glinted. “My hands, huh?” He slid his other arm around Ryan’s waist, holding him. Ryan’s erection was pressed right against Shane’s thigh now, and he dared to roll his hips a little. His eyes closed halfway and his mouth dropped open a little. He probably shouldn’t be doing this - for all that Shane’s tone was getting deep and raspy, despite his tight grip on Ryan, he hadn’t actually verbally invited anything.

But god, it felt good.

Shane twisted his hips and Ryan gasped when he felt Shane’s hard cock pressed against his stomach. It seemed he wasn’t the only one who was affected by the press of their bodies, by the long looks and shared breath.

“Aren’t you excitable,” Shane murmured. They were standing so close his breath was stirring Ryan’s hair.

“Fuck you,” Ryan snapped back out of habit, but the only heat in his words came from arousal, not anger. He tilted his head back, his mouth just inches from Shane’s.

“Are you asking? I guess I could provide, if it would calm you the fuck down.”

Shane leaned down and took what Ryan was wordlessly offering. The kiss was deep and hard, and Ryan responded with just as much force. He didn’t give in easily, but when Shane moved one hand to cup Ryan’s ass, he couldn’t help the moan, and Shane took advantage. Ryan made a low noise when Shane tongue slid against his. He felt something in him give and he let Shane take control, kissing him breathless.

Ryan rutted helplessly against Shane’s thigh, the arousal making everything else hazy and unimportant.

When Shane broke the kiss, his voice was deeper than Ryan had ever heard it, and it made the arousal in his gut curl tighter. “I’ll jerk you off. Get my hand around your pretty, wet cock, see how many noises I can get you to make.”

Shane shoved his hand between them and cupped Ryan’s cock. He made a low noise in the back of his throat, his eyes closing for a moment before opening. Ryan felt the sting of satisfaction that he could make Shane lose his composure like that. But a small part of Ryan reminded him that this was his enemy, and it wasn’t like Ryan to roll over for him without a fight.

“Stop,” Ryan protested, but it came out weak and unconvincing. He thrust into Shane’s grip, body shaking.

“Do you _really_ want me to, Ryan?” Shane asked, squeezing his cock. Ryan cried out, reaching out to grab onto Shane as his knees went weak.

“Fuck, fuck, you win,” Ryan said. He liked giving Shane a hard time, but not now, not when he was so fucking hard and Shane’s big, gorgeous hands were squeezing him. His cock throbbed in his pants.

Shane’s eyes looked almost black in the low lighting. He pressed his lips against Ryan’s jaw, nipping at the skin, leaving wet trails as he made his way to Ryan’s ear. “I expect you to return the favor.”

“I’m going to make you see God,” Ryan promised.

“That’ll be quite the feat, since I don’t believe in God,” Shane remarked. He undid the buttons on Ryan’s jeans, and Ryan let out a small groan at the release of pressure.

“Your jeans are always so goddamn tight,” Shane growled. “Do you know how often I’ve thought about touching your legs through the rips, about bending you over the nearest surface?”

“P-probably about as often as I’ve thought about you doing it,” Ryan gasped. Before Ryan could take his shirt off, Shane was hustling him over to the wall next to the window. He let Shane peel the pants down his legs until they were mid-thigh, enjoying the way Shane yanked on them so roughly, jerking Ryan’s body around. Ryan wrapped his hand around his own cock the moment it bounced free and gave it a slow stroke.

Shane settled on the floor, legs spread wide. He stared at Ryan for a moment before he began to unbutton his plaid shirt. He slipped it off, revealing a henley underneath. Ryan made an appreciative noise - this was probably the fewest layers he’d ever seen Shane in. He liked the way the henley fit Shane’s frame.

He spread the plaid button-up on the ground between his legs and then patted it. “Sit here.”

Ryan’s cock twitched in his hand. The head was already wet with pre-come, and he’d done his best to use it to make the touch of his hand slick and easy. Ryan reluctantly let go of his cock and sat on the floor between Shane’s legs, reclining back against Shane’s chest and resting his hands on Shane’s thighs. His cock lay against his belly, hard and leaking.

Shane’s lips brushed Ryan’s ear. “Your cock is as pretty as the rest of you,” he murmured. He lifted Ryan’s cock off his belly until it was pointing straight up in the air. Ryan rolled his hips, wanting Shane to touch him, to do more than just grip him by the base and show Ryan’s cock off. Shane seemed to take that as encouragement as he let go and rubbed his fingers against Ryan’s wet cockhead before sliding them down his cock, smearing the fluid. He traced the large vein of Ryan’s cock with his fingers, and Ryan panted, thrusting up. Shane bit gently his earlobe.

“Aren’t you a handful,” Shane cooed. “I bet you drive the boys and girls crazy with this cock of yours. Make ‘em beg for it.” Ryan groaned loudly at the words, head falling back to rest against Shane’s shoulder. After a moment, he lifted his head, not wanting to miss a minute of those hands on his cock. Ryan watched as those long, pale fingers wrapped around him, finally stroking him, just a little slower than Ryan liked. He panted and tried to fuck up into Shane’s hand but Shane loosened his grip, leaving him unsatisfied. Shane sucked a mark on the side of Ryan’s neck, stroking Ryan slowly, loosely.

“Shane,” Ryan whined, and Shane tightened his grip. This was better, this was _good_. Ryan felt Shane twitch against his lower back, and knowing Shane was getting hard as he jerked Ryan off made it so much better. Ryan couldn’t tear his gaze away from Shane’s big hand working him over, the way his cockhead was turning a darker red as all the blood rushed there. Pre-come welled up from the slit, and Shane used it to ease the way.

“Look at you,” Shane whispered in his ear, breath hot and tickling. “God, I can’t believe I get to touch you like this.”

Ryan’s cockhead appeared and disappeared as Shane’s hand slid up and down. He was slowly starting to speed up, and Ryan’s brain was going hazy, thoughts slipping away as the pleasure took over. Shane pushed his hand under Ryan’s shirt and tweaked his nipple, earning a loud moan.

“Going to be loud for me, sweetheart? I want to hear you.”

Ryan shuddered in his arms and let out a loud whine as Shane switched to the other nipple, playing with it until it was sensitive, until Ryan was arching his back, wordlessly begging for more. His cock was leaking steadily now, Shane’s hand making slick, wet sounds that seemed to fill the quiet of the room. Ryan rolled his hips into the tight grip of that hand, and Shane sped up his strokes.

“You said you thought about my hands, Ryan. Did you ever picture them on you like this? Grabbing you here? Getting you off, quick and dirty in the dark?”

“Ah, ah, y-yes,” Ryan moaned, fucking up into Shane’s hand. When Shane slid his hand out from under Ryan’s shirt, he let out a disappointed groan, though he didn’t stop moving his hips. Orgasm was rushing at him, tightening his muscles, his breathing going shallow and quick. Shane was grinding against Ryan now, seeking friction for his own cock. It sent another jolt of arousal through Ryan.

When Shane cupped Ryan’s balls, rolling them gently, Ryan let out a moan so loud it startled even him. His hands clutched at Shane’s strong thighs, trying so hard to keep his hands to himself.

“What else did you picture, Ryan?” Shane asked, voice low and raspy in his ear. He was panting now. “Where else did you picture me touching you?”

“Ahh,” Ryan moaned, “F-fuck, hah, I - I-”

“What did you think about when you were alone at night, hard and hungry? Did you think about my fingers touching your cock? Sliding down to press against your hole?” Shane’s voice went deeper. “Did you think about my fingers fucking into your ass?”

It was too much, the reminder of Ryan’s most private thoughts, said in Shane’s own voice. Ryan fucked into Shane’s hand, and came, keening loudly. Shane reached out and turned Ryan’s face to his and kissed him, tongue fucking into Ryan’s mouth, muffling his noises. Ryan made an absolute mess, his come dotting his belly, wetting Shane’s knuckles, even landing on the plaid button-up Shane had laid on the floor. Shane stroked him through the aftershocks and Ryan trembled, broken apart.

He made a low noise when it became too much, and Shane let go immediately. He gentled the kiss until it was just sweet brushes of their lips, breath mingling, noses brushing. When Ryan pulled away, he noticed Shane awkwardly holding his hand up, the come slowly dripping down his fingers. Ryan reached out and grabbed it, pulling it close so he could lick up the mess he’d made. Against his back, Shane’s cock twitched again.

“Ryan,” Shane rumbled. Ryan turned to face him, knees tucked underneath him. Shane looked _hungry_. His cheeks were flushed, his lips wet, and though the lighting was low, his dark eyes glinted. Ryan wanted to take a picture, wanted to picture Shane just like this when Ryan fucked himself with a toy. Shane Madej, completely undone. Passionate. _Riled up_.

“Unbutton your pants,” Ryan said urgently. “Get your cock out.”

He leaned forward to press his lips against Shane’s, a quick, wet kiss. Shane fumbled with the buttons of his pants, and Ryan pulled back when he heard the familiar sound of a zipper being undone.

He sucked in a loud breath at his first glimpse of Shane’s cock. He reached out to brush his fingers against the round, plummy head. Shane was _big_ , his cock long and fat, the curls at the base of his cock neatly trimmed. As Ryan watched, a drop of pre-come welled up from the slit and dripped down. Ryan’s mouth started to water at the sight of it, and without giving it any forethought, he leaned down to lick up that drop.

“Shit,” Shane hissed, one hand reaching up to grab at Ryan’s hair. His tight grip made Ryan’s eyes sting, and he sucked Shane’s cock down in retaliation. He took Shane a little too deep in his eagerness, and he choked a little. He pulled off to cough before wrenching against Shane’s grip on his hair to hungrily take him down again.

Shane was hot and heavy on Ryan’s tongue. His cock stretched the corners of Ryan’s mouth, forcing his mouth open almost uncomfortably wide. Ryan closed his eyes to better take in the taste and smells of sex and pre-come. He sucked as he pulled back, his tongue sliding along the vein of Shane’s fat cock, and Ryan moaned. Ryan rubbed his lips against Shane’s cock, smearing the pre-come against his lips and chin, mixing it with the spit that already wet it. He _wanted_ to be messy, he wanted to have Shane all over him.

“Fuck, you like that?” Shane moaned. “You like having me all over your face, getting you messy?”

Ryan hummed an agreement. Shane’s grip on his hair tightened even further and Ryan had to blink back the tears that almost fell. Shane pressed down on the top of his head, shoving him back onto his dick, and Ryan went gamely, eyes fluttering closed as Shane’s cock filled him up. When Shane pulled him off, Ryan whined, mouth opening. He licked his lips, peering up at Shane through his eyelashes.

“Please,” he murmured. “Shane, please.”

“You cock hungry whore,” Shane swore, and shoved Ryan back onto his dick. Before Ryan could take him deep, he pulled Ryan off, making him keen. Shane did it again, a shallow and unsatisfactory shove before pulling Ryan off. Again, this time a little deeper, and then deeper still. Ryan took him eagerly, sucking on his fat cock hungrily, like he couldn’t get enough, like he was starving for it.

He pulled Ryan off with a loud moan, his hips twitching, like they wanted to follow Ryan’s mouth. It made him feel hot and glazed, and all he could think about was taking Shane in again.

“Take a breath,” Shane ordered, and Ryan did as he was told. Abruptly, Shane shoved Ryan’s head down again, forcing him down until Ryan took his cock down his throat, until Ryan’s nose was pressed against Shane’s belly. Shane made a loud, breathless whine as Ryan’s hands flew to Shane’s thighs instinctively, seeking leverage to push himself off. But Ryan forced himself to simply curl his hands around Shane’s thighs and swallow, working his throat around Shane’s cock.

Shane held him there for several seconds, breathing harshly as Ryan swallowed around him, before pulling him up. Ryan gasped for air, ready for another round, mouth open and waiting.

“In the morning they’ll think your voice is gonna be hoarse from screaming, only I’ll know that it’s from my cock ramming down your throat.”

Ryan groaned at the idea of it, his throat feeling achy. He opened his eyes to peer at Shane through wet lashes. He licked his lips, knowing that his spit and Shane’s pre-come were dripping off his chin.

“Should I come down your throat or somewhere else? On your chest? On your face?” Shane’s voice was getting a little strained and desperate now. “Or maybe your ass?”

Ryan’s eyelashes fluttered closed, picturing it.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Putting you in your place, for once. Giving you the business, just like you’re always saying.”

Ryan moaned, both at the idea of Shane taking control and of Shane clearly referencing Ryan’s show. “Next time,” Ryan gasped.

Ryan was just as surprised as Shane at the ‘next time’ and all that it implied. He quickly took Shane in his mouth again, hoping they could let that moment pass them by without comment. Shane’s cock was throbbing, turning an angry red. Ryan sucked on the head of his cock and then slid his mouth down, pulling back slowly. He tongued at the bundle of nerves below the head, and slurped messily on the pre-come that covered it. Ryan couldn’t help the little hmm’s and other happy noises, and if Shane’s grunts and moans were anything to go by, he didn’t mind.

Ryan took Shane deep into his throat again, though it was less smooth than when Shane forced him down. Ryan’s eyelashes fluttered as his throat constricted around Shane’s cock, and he moaned at the feel of it. Shane’s hips bucked, and he pulled Ryan off his cock just enough for him to have room to thrust. Ryan sucked him sloppily, noisily, and when Shane came, Ryan moaned like he’d been dying for it, like it was the greatest thing he’d ever tasted.

Shane’s cock swelled. It jerked and spurted and Ryan swallowed down the come that coated his tongue. When Shane pushed Ryan off his cock, Ryan felt disappointment swell in his chest. He’d really liked having Shane’s cock in his mouth, filling him up. He could have let Ryan stay there for a bit longer, couldn’t he have?

Ryan wondered where the fuck the desire to keep Shane in his mouth had come from. Deciding it was something to be considered later, Ryan shrugged. He used his fingers to swipe the come that had leaked from the corners of his mouth and sucked them clean.

“Jesus Christ,” Shane groaned. He let his head thump against the wall behind him, throat bobbing as he swallowed. He reached up with one shaky hand to run it through his sweaty hair.

“I thought about you coming on my face,” Ryan rasped, voice hoarse. “But we don’t exactly have any running water to clean up with.”

Shane pressed his hand to his eyes and shook his head. His mouth moved, like he was trying to sound the words out before he said them. When he still hadn’t said anything after a minute, Ryan reached out to rest one hand on Shane’s belly.

“Shane? Are you okay?”

“ _Okay_ ,” Shane grumbled. “You sucked my brain out of my dick, dude. I am not _okay_.”

Ryan felt the anxiety that had been gathering in his stomach dissipate. He laughed. “I told you I’d make you see God.”

Shane let his hand fall into his lap. He met Ryan’s eyes fearlessly, a hinted smile at the corner of his lips. “If anyone could make me a believer, it’d be you.”

It was said with such frankness that it took Ryan aback. Something in his chest twinged. He wheezed, slapping at Shane’s knee with his other hand.

“That’s probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“I know,” Shane said, and it was quiet and thoughtful. “Who knew all I needed to do was get locked in alone with you to like you?”

“Who knew, indeed,” Ryan replied, thinking about the same thing. His feelings for Shane had always been complicated, a tangled knot he had no time to pick at. But it seemed to be unraveling anyway, unspooling at his feet, heading straight for the source.

Shane was annoying. He was an asshole. But he was also funny, and kind, and Ryan now suspected that half his jokes were never intended to be hurtful. He was just an awkward dude, looking for proof, just like Ryan. With different aims in mind, sure, but their goals aligned.

“We should sleep,” Shane said, and they both blinked out of the bubble they’d found themselves in. The room was the same as ever - dimly lit by flashlight, dusty and abandoned. They hurriedly did up their pants, and Shane lifted his arm in an invitation Ryan gladly took.

Shane leaned against the wall, legs straight out in front of him. Ryan tucked himself under Shane’s arm, laying his head in the crook of his shoulder. He curled his legs up and let them fall sideways, so they rested against Shane’s upper thighs. Shane smelled like sweat and sex, and underneath that, the subtle cologne he wore. It was quickly becoming a scent Ryan favored.

He sighed, feeling warm and content.

“I’ll keep first watch,” Shane murmured, lips pressed against the crown of Ryan’s head. “Sleep.”

Ryan fell, between one moment and the next, out of consciousness and into love.

* * *

When Ryan awoke, the sun was just appearing over the horizon. It was that time of morning when the light looked blue and everything was still in that peaceful, isolated way. When he moved, Shane jerked his head up, eyes wild. He’d been using Ryan’s head as a pillow, and it left Ryan feeling warm.

“The suns up, Shane,” Ryan pointed out, and Shane mumbled something, twisting to peer blearily up at the window. He looked adorable with his messy hair and half-opened eyes. Ryan climbed to his feet, already missing the warmth of Shane’s body, to get a look out the window. It still showed only the prison fence and trees, but off to the right was the sun.

“We need to get going,” Ryan commented, looking down at Shane. “I bet our crews are worried.”

Shane made a noise of agreement. “I’m surprised TJ hasn’t called in a search party.”

Ryan thought of Devon and the way she meticulously planned the travel portion of the show to minimize things going sideways. “Yeah, I’m surprised Devon hasn’t either.”

They get up and straight their clothes as best they can, giving each other small smiles the whole way. They turned their gopros on last and checked each other to make sure they were situated correctly.

Ryan eyed the door with trepidation. Who knew what was on the other side? They hadn’t heard any more knocks or creaks throughout the night - and Ryan was a light enough sleeper to have noticed. Was it lying in wait?

They moved the desk just enough to wedge the door open to slip through. Shane insisted he go first, which Ryan allowed with an eye roll and a sigh much fonder than it used to be. Shane stuck his large head out first and then the lanky rest of him followed.

The hallway, being on the interior of the building, was still dark as fuck with no windows to light the way. Ryan clicked his flashlight on and Shane followed a moment later. They crept forward, their breathing the only thing they could hear. Ryan curled a finger through one of Shane’s belt loops and ignored the look that garnered him. Shane could tease him later, once they escaped this Rose Red prison.

“The stairs are over here,” Shane breathed, and Ryan nodded. The tension was back in the air, only significantly worse this time. All of the hair on Ryan’s body stood up. It felt like the calm before the storm, the beat before the bass drop. Something was going to happen, Ryan could feel it.

When Shane’s foot touched the first step, the door across the way flung open with a slam. Ryan jumped with a shout, and then yelled again when something grabbed his hand. But it was only Shane, his eyes wide, and he was tugging Ryan down the stairs.

“Run, run!” He hollered, and Ryan allowed himself to be dragged. Something pounded down the stairs after them, and Ryan was too afraid to look back, too busy watching his feet so he wouldn’t fall. When they reached the second floor, two doors were flung open, and Ryan heard what sounded like a horrible, wet gasp for air.

“Oh hell no,” He shouted, and shoved at Shane to get him to move faster. The pounding footsteps followed them down, seemingly getting closer with every step. Ryan was panting now, terror filling his lungs, adrenaline filling his veins. Something smashed into the wall just as they ran past, a shatter of porcelain that exploded upon impact. Shane took the brunt of it and let out a small noise of pain, but he didn’t stop, didn’t slow, and didn’t let Ryan’s hand go.

Down the next set of stairs, and now Ryan could hear something breathing behind him, he swore he did. Shane seemed to have a good idea of where they were going as they hurtled around corners, right and then left, then another left. They burst into the giant reception area, hearts pounding, gasping for air, and the sight of the front doors they had entered through lifted Ryan’s spirit just enough for him to put on one last burst of speed.

For one heart-stopping moment, Ryan thought the doors would be locked, that all this would be for nothing, but Shane slammed into them full force and they swung open. They hurried down the front steps, still holding hands. Ryan’s legs and lungs were burning, and he slowed to a stop. They were outside again, cool, fresh hair feeling divine against their sweaty skins. They greedily sucked in air.

After they caught their breaths, they straightened up. They shared a glance, and turned in unison back the way they’d come.

Fifty feet past the front doors, a phone rang at the reception desk. Ryan’s breath caught in his throat; there hadn’t been electricity in the prison for _years_ \- there was no need for it.

“Cell phone?” Shane muttered. “Some people have the fuckin’ old school ring as their ringtone.”

Ryan shook his head. It was no cell phone.

The doors, which had bounced off the walls when Shane flung them open, were slowly closing. Ryan squinted at the dark exterior - even with the sun barely up, it was too bright outside to see anything in the dark. The phone continued to ring.

A light clicked on at the reception desk, and the doors swung shut with a click.

Ryan tightened his grip on Shane’s hand.

“Shane? Ryan? Oh, thank fucking god.”

Ryan turned upon hearing Devon’s voice. He felt his smile break into a wide, relieved grin as she and the rest of his crew rushed toward them, Shane’s crew just behind. Ryan realized with a sudden, embarrassed start that he was still holding Shane’s hand. When Ryan looked at him, Shane was already looking at Ryan. He lifted an eyebrow as if to say, _It’s up to you_.

Shane wasn’t so bad, really. His jokes _were_ funny, even if he poked fun at Ryan far too much. And Ryan had always thought Shane was cute. Would they work outside an adrenaline-fueled ordeal?

Ryan gripped Shane’s hand tighter. He would like to find out.

“Are you guys okay? What happened? You just fucking _disappeared_ ,” TJ huffed. He reached up to clap a hand to Shane’s shoulder. Devon pulled Ryan into an awkward hug as he was still holding Shane’s hand. He returned it with one arm, breathing in the scent of her shampoo.

“You would not _believe_ the night we had,” Ryan started to say.

“It was so fucking dark and it’s easy as hell to get lost in there,” Shane said.

“We were fucking chased by ghosts!” Ryan continued.

“It was a burglar or something, not a ghost,” Shane corrected. He looked at Mary, who had taken a much slower pace toward the group than the rest. “You should check your fence, see if there’s a hole somewhere.”

“Why would they break into an abandoned prison?” Ryan argued, furrowing his brow. “There’s nothing there that’s worth anything.”

“I don’t know, Ryan,” Shane sighed, “If I knew, I’d be a criminal. Or in cahoots with a criminal.”

“Cahoots,” Ryan repeated, laughing a little. “Love that.”

“As I am not cahooting,” Shane said, speaking as though he hadn’t heard Ryan at all, “My best guess is they stashed something here or something. Using it as a base.”

“I’ll check the perimeter,” Mary reassured them. Her face was unusually pale, and she had dark circles under her eyes. “Thank goodness you’re okay. We searched most of the night for you two.”

“Why haven’t you called the police?” Ryan asked, though it was more for curiosity than anything.

“We were going to, but then we realized Theo was missing,” Mary went on, “Cell service goes down in this area frequently, and he had the only radio. It’s the strangest thing.”

“Theo?” Shane asked, furrowing his brow.

“The security guard,” Mary explained. “He was here last night, but at some point he must have broken off from the group.”

“You mean he’s still in there?” Ryan asked. He thought about the footsteps running after them, about the vase or whatever that had been thrown their way. Theo could be in there _alone_ right now, the sole target of the ghosts. “We should call someone to look for him.”

“That’s the thing,” Devon said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear nervously. She darted a glance TJ’s way, and Ryan noted the way Shane’s coworker was frowning. “It seems he called off yesterday. He wasn’t supposed to be there at all.”

Ryan felt a chill go down his spine. Had they been interacting with a ghost this entire time?

“Why would someone show up for a shift they don’t have and then bail halfway through?” Shane asked. Mary opened her mouth to reply, but Ryan interrupted.

“Don’t be stupid,” Ryan said. He bounced on his toes, restless with excitement. “We saw a ghost.”

“Oh my god.” Shane shook his head. “He wasn’t a fucking _ghost_ , Ryan. We were talking to him.”

“Did anybody touch him?” Ryan demanded. Everyone shook their heads. “Who knows how ghosts work. Ghosts look like regular people until you realize shit’s weird.”

“Ryan,” Shane groaned. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I will give you that it’s weird he disappeared like that, but he was probably just working with the intruders or some shit.”

“Shane,” Ryan groaned, trying to get the same tone of long-suffering. And then he continued, “This is good, though. Two different takes on what happened here tonight.”

Shane stopped pinching his nose. He stared at Ryan and bit his bottom lip, looking contemplative. After a moment, a slow smile spread across his face.

“I have an idea,” He said, and the look of delight on his face made Ryan nervous.

“And that is?” Ryan asked slowly, hoping this wasn’t going to be Shane reverting to his asshole persona.

“Collab, baby,” Shane proposed, drawing out the second word unnecessarily.

“Don’t call me baby,” Ryan retorted immediately. He could feel his cheeks heating up, and from the widening smile on Shane’s face, he could tell. Ryan elbowed him none too gently, and Shane laughed, taking a step back, out of Ryan’s elbow - but not hand - reach.

“It’s not a bad idea,” Ryan considered. “It’d be a pretty epic crossover that nobody would see coming.”

“Exactly!” Shane said, pointing his finger at Ryan. “We have all the footage from the go-pros. We could make it a two-parter, with one on your channel, another on mine.”

“Think of the views,” Ryan mused.

“What is happening right now?” TJ asked, speaking to nobody in particular. “When did they start holding hands?”

“We could do one collab per season,” Shane said enthusiastically. He beamed at Ryan. “I think we’ve proven we make a pretty good team.”

“I think it’s cute,” Devon said, but nobody but TJ paid her any attention.

Ryan gave it some thought. They’d made it through one of the most terrifying experiences of his life, unharmed if a bit traumatized. Shane had been by turns comforting and amusing. Ryan wouldn’t mind getting to know Shane better, and working on a collaboration would be the perfect excuse. They could talk about it over dinner, perhaps.

Ryan wondered absently what Shane’s opinion on Korean barbeque was.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Ryan stepped closer to Shane, his chin already lifting for the kiss he knew Shane would meet. Shane blinked, his eyes a beautiful, warm brown in the light of the sun. He leaned in to meet Ryan halfway, his lips soft and and his hand steady on the back of Ryan’s head. Joy bloomed in Ryan’s chest, sweet and light.

“Collab, baby,” Ryan agreed, and laughed.


End file.
